Wire-fence machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-$heert 1.

A. H. GORE.

WIRE FENCE MAGHINE.

No. 358,605. Patented Mar. 1, 1887.

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(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. H. GORE. WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

Patented Mar. 1, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT rricE.

ALFRED H. GORE, OF \VALDRON, INDIANA.

WIRE-FENCE MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,605, dated March 1,1867.

Application filed July 24, 1886.

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED H. GORE, a citizen of the United States,residing at VValdron, in the county of Shelby and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and use ful Improvements in Wire-Fence Machines;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the'invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a machine for twisting or weaving wires for theconstruction of wire fences; and it consistsin the construction andcombination of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

in the annexed drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is aperspective view of my improved wire-fence machine, and shows it in itsoperative position when twisting the wires about the slats of a fence.Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged detail views of one of the slottedtwisting-wheels, and show two of the several positions which it willassume while effecting one complete twist in the wires. Fig. 4 is across-sectional detail of a spool for securing the ends of the wires toa post during the operation of twisting. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectionon the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line 2 2 ofFig. 2.

Like letters of referenced esi gnate like parts in the several views.

The frame of the machine for upholding and guiding the twistingmechanism in its operations consists of a couple of upright bars, A andA, secured together so as to leave an intervening vertical space betweenthem,which bars are adapted to be moved laterally alongside the wires,so that the twisting mechanism may be conveniently situated with respectto said wires.

The frame A and A incloses a horizontallymovable frame, consisting of avertical bar, B, to which are secured two or more horizontal bars, 0 C.The bars 0 G are toothed or cogged along their lower edges forengagement with toothed twisting-wheels'D D, that are carried by curvedarms E E, extending from Serial No. 208,931. (No model.)

the upright A, said wheels D and cogged l'oars G lying in the samevertical plane, as shown. Obviously there may be any desired number ofhorizontal bars 0 C and, consequently, of the wheels D D, for the numberof said bars, as also the number of said wheels, will correspond to thenumber of wire strands of which the fence is composed, there being onewheel for each strand. For convenience in illustrating, Fig. 1 shows buttwo strands, and, consequently, two wheels and two cog-bars; but in anordinary fence having four strands there would, ofnecessity, be fourwheels.

The frame, consisting of the vertical bar B and horizontal bars 0 O, isso situated-transverse to the wiresthat the bars 0 0 will be movableacross them. As shown in the drawings, a short strip, F, is held betweenthe uprights A and A, and is provided with a tongue on its lower edge,which enters a groove assists in guiding the movable frame. The verticalbar B, at apoint niidwayof its length, is provided with a strap, G,wherein arejournaled two rollers, a a, located one on each side of ahorizontal bar, H, extending outward from the frame A A. The bar H isconveniently supported by a brace, I. Thus the movable bar is stillfurther guided in itsmovements. A handle, b, secured to the bar B,enables the operator to readily and easily move the-frame to and fro.

The toothed or cogged twisling-wheels are, as already stated, hung uponthe arms E E. These arms, after extending horizontally outward from theupright A fora short distance, are curved upwardly with a semicircularcurve, then bent again to ahorizontal position until the center of thesemicircle is reached,

semicircular portion being concentric with the twisting-wheel. (SeeFigs. 3 and 4.) The twisting-wheels are provided with twooppositely-located slots, which extend inward from the circumferencetoward the center, and

the length of the longer slot,d,being sufficient ,to pass slightlywithin the semicircular curve of the arms.

The wires for making the fence are first secured to posts fixed acertain distance apartalong the upperedge of the topmost bar 0 and oneof which, as cl, is longer than the other, d,

and there the twisting-wheel is journaled, the

2 assets as, for example, posts J andK in Fig. 1. To one of the posts,as J, the wires are preferably secured by passing them around pulleys ca, secured to the post. Said wires are then carried across the field tothe otherpost, where they are wrapped about spools,that I prefer to useand by means of which the slack in the wires is regulated as desired.These spools are fastened to the posts by means of wires or pieces ofstrap-iron k, which are secured to the head and end of a bolt, 6, whichpasses through the spool proper. One end of the spool is squared at f,for use with a wrench, while on the opposite end the projecting flange gis toothed. Therefore,the wires being wound about the spool, a wrenchmay be applied to the latter for rotating it about the bolt, and thustightening or loosening the wires, the spool being held at any point bya pawl-arm, h, fastened to the post and engaging the notched flange g.In Fig. 4 one of these spools is shown in section, and the post to whichsaid spool is fastened is shown in dotted lines, the attaching strap orwire being denoted by k. In this figure Z represents the bolt-head, towhich strap is is secured, and m a washer between the head and thetoothed flange 9. These spools are found serviceable in many ways. Theirtension can be increased or diminished, as desired,to make the twist ofthe wire uniform; and, further, if the spools are left on the posts, theslack of the wires may be taken up in the summer and let out in thewinter.

The operation of the machine in twisting the wires is as follows: Thetwisting-wheels are first placed in the position shown in Fig. 1, thelonger slot being so adjusted that its inner end is nearly coincidentwith the corner of the arm farthest from the post on which said arm isfastened, and so that a wire passed through said slot may rest in acorner of the arm. The other slot is in such a position that the wire,when placed therein, will be underneath the inner part of the arm nextto the post. The wheels being all in this position, the wires are placedin the slots, the two of each strand entering the opposite slots of thesame wheel, as shown. Now, by a backward movement of the handle of themachine, the wheels are made to revolve backward until they reach theposition shown in Fig. 2, where the wires are merely crossed; but theirmovement continues until they reach the position shown in Fig. 3, and atwist is completed. The wheel has thus revolved completely around inaccomplishing one twist. Next, a slatof wood or metal is insertedbetween the wires next to the twist, and then, by a forward movement ofthe handle, the wheels are made to revolve forward a completerevolution, and the wires are again twisted. This process is repeateduntil the fence is complete, the machine being moved laterally forwardin advance of the slats as fast as they are put in.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the supportingarm having a semicircular curve,of a twistingwheel journaled in said arm concentrically with the saidsemicircular curve and provided with the oppositely-located slots ofdifferent lengths, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the cogged twistingwheels provided withoppositely-located slots of different lengths, the arms, substantiallyof the form described, for carrying said wheels, and mechanism forrevolving the wheels, consisting of a movable frame having oogged barsthat engage the cogged peripheries of the wheels, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of the frame A A, the movable frame consisting ofvertical bar B and the horizontal bars 0 C, said bar B being providedwith guiding-rollers a a,operating upon a bar, H, secured to the frame AA, the twisting-wheels, and their supporting-arms, all arranged tooperate substantially as specified and shown.

4. The combination of the twisting-wheels D, having toothed peripheriesand slots d and d, the arms E, for supporting the same, the movableframe, whose toothed bars 0 'G engage the toothed wheels, and the frameA A,

substantially as specified.

revolve the wheels,and suitable means for guiding said frame in itsmovements, as specified. In testimony whereof I affix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

ALFRED H. GORE.

Witnesses:

JAMEs D. .WALKER, O. W. GLENDENING.

